Menopause is defined as the period occurring 12 months after a woman's last menstrual cycle, and generally occurs in their 40's or 50's. The average age of menopause in women is about age 51. The process of menopause starts several years before, in a transition period called perimenopause. This is the time period where the ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen. The symptoms of perimenopause can range from minor to extreme and usually is problematic for premenopausal women. Symptoms may include hot flashes, breast tenderness, lower sex drive, fatigue, irregular periods, vaginal dryness, urine leakage and urgency, mood swings and trouble sleeping. An estimated 6,000 women reach menopause every day (over 2 million per year) in the United States alone, and 75-85% of these women experience hot flashes and night sweats. Traditionally, women have been prescribed Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to help with these symptoms. In recent years, several studies have shown that women taking HRT drugs have a higher risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and blood clots. The largest study was the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a 15-year study tracking over 161,800 healthy, postmenopausal women exploring the HRT therapy plus dietary modification and calcium supplementation. That study found that women who took the combination therapy with HRT had an increased risk of heart disease.
With disadvantages associated with Hormone Replacement Therapy, it is desirable if other supplements can be used to treat and alleviate symptoms of hot flashes in a female subject. Some women take phytoestrogens, which include enterolactone precursors such as HMR Lignans that contain 7-hydroxymatairesinol. These remedies have been around for a number of years and provide some relief, but further improvements are desired since many women will still suffer hot flash symptoms even when substantial dosages of the phytoestrogens such as HMR Lignan that contains the 7-hydroxymatairesinol are used. Therefore, even further improvements in remedies other than hormone replacement therapies for reducing hot flashes and other symptoms of perimenopause in women are desired.